Contents tagged with UI
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The Three Seashells applied to UI Design
I frequently refer to "the three seashells" approach in user interaction design. Here's a video clip for the origin of the term. Watch the person with the headset mock the unknowing Sylvester Stallone. Have you ever opened a high-tech gadget and didn't know how to make it work? Were you mocked by others who had (eventually) figured it out?
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The Great Shutdown Debate on Windows 8
Since September, I've been reading the many complaints regarding the process used to shut down a computer running Windows 8. The general theme is that's hard to find, with some folks suggesting that this is emblematic of Windows 8 being difficult to use.
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Balloon Timeout and Notification Duration
Today I was reading a new post on one of my favorite blogs, The Old New Thing by longtime Microsoft developer Raymond Chen. I got to know Raymond in the waning days of 1994 when we were working on "Chicago", the codename for what would become Windows 95. I was a rookie Program Manager for this new thing called "accessibility" and he was the go-to developer for just about anything in the guts of Windows.
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Apple Mouse Marks Mighty Change
Various pundits want to proclaim Apple's new multi-button mouse as a major departure and admission that clean design (in the form of a one-button can't be screwed up manner) isn't always acceptable to the consumer.
Recall that the original Macintosh keyboard did not have cursor keys. The original vision was to have the mouse perform all functions, while the keyboard was solely for text input. Steve Jobs and Macintosh team wanted to force people into using the mouse for all operations, even scrolling pages of text.
After several months, Apple realized their folly and made a keyboard with a number pad and cursor keys. I don't know if that was introduced along with the "Fat Mac" in October 1984 or was slipstreamed into the Macintosh production line. I know that it hard to get one of those original keyboards. I am looking for one by the way!
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Create New Folder in Explorer – why not easier?
Since I started working with the Windows Explorer shell in Windows 95, I’ve often wondered why there isn’t a “New Folder” toolbar button.
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Handy Internet Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts
Here are keyboard shortcuts for use with Internet Explorer. Most work on all versions since 4.01. Not an exhustive list, just those that I use often.
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Copy message box text to the clipboard
Ever get a error message and need to write it down? Particular one with an obscure error number like 0x80040e09? Starting with Windows 2000, you can copy the entire contents of a message box to the clipboard by pressing CTRL+C.
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History of keyboard access in Windows
This is a response to a posting on the Windows Off-Topic Tech mailing list concerning keyboard access to the taskbar...
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More taskbar/tray keyboard access
Apparently, the shell team at Microsoft threw in another keyboard shortcut to get focus to the tray notification area. This is the section of the taskbar that contains the clock and various status icons. For example, if updates are available on Windows Update, the Volume control (if enabled), and network status.
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Keyboard access to the Windows taskbar
[Edited 2011-03-31 to fix a typo. Also note that WIN+T in Windows Vista/Windows 7 will set focus to the first taskbar item]